BLOCK PARTY: Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough has his shot rejected by the defense of Florida State’s Michael Snaer (left) and Xavier Gibson in their Southwest Region game last night.REUTERS

CHICAGO — Before last night’s third-round NCAA game, Notre Dame’s Tim Abromaitis called Florida State as big and physical as any team in the country. Then FSU throttled the Irish 71-57, the Seminoles’ nation-leading defense turning Notre Dame into little more than a speedbump on their drive to next weekend’s Sweet 16.

“Florida State flat out beat us. The combination of their defense and their seven 3-point shots put us on our heels,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “We’re kind of numb because we invested so much. It just comes to a screeching halt.”

The second-seeded Irish came in having won 13 of their last 15, and enjoying their highest seeding in 30 years. But the Seminoles proved too long, too strong and too athletic for them.

Or perhaps the 10th-seeded Seminoles (23-10) are just that good. They are on pace to become the first team since Georgetown 20 years ago to lead the county in field goal defense back-to-back seasons. John Thompson broadcast the Southwest Region game, and saw a defensive clinic even he could’ve been proud of.

What Thompson wouldn’t be proud of was seeing yet another Big East team fall, now only two of their 11 teams left standing. After much was made of their record number of invites to the Big Dance, only UConn and Marquette remain, and the Irish were eliminated in humbling fashion.

“It’s difficult to put into words,” said Carleton Scott.

FSU’s Bernard James — who was a high school dropout and took basketball back up during a six-year hitch in the Air Force — spent the evening throwing up and the morning getting three IVs. Then he spent last night piling up team-highs of 14 points, 10 boards and two blocks to lead FSU into Friday’s Sweet 16 in San Antonio vs. VCU.

“I felt like I had to vomit the entire game, like it was right there in my throat,” said James. “I tried to focus as much as I could, play as hard as I could. I didn’t know how much I was going to be able to contribute. I’m just glad I was able to give the minutes I did.”

Tim Abromaitis had a game-high 21 for Notre Dame (27-7), but their all-senior starting give got taken right out of their machine-like motion offense. They were just 6-of-28 from 3-point range. Big East Player of the Year Ben Hansbrough (18 points on 5-of-13 shooting) fouled out of his final game to taunts of overrated.

“We’re a skilled group,” Brey said. “We have to get into some kind of rhythm and we never really could do that. Then you feel the weight of the world and you know it’s the last game.”

FSU got 13 points from guard Michael Snaer and made their first Sweet 16 since 1993, the first 10 vs. 11 matchup in history. FSU and VCU will be joined in San Antonio by a third double-digit seed — No. 12 Richmond — and top seed Kansas.

FSU took over with a seven-minute first-half span when they held the Irish to 1-for-11 shooting with two turnovers, a 16-2 run for a 23-11 lead. And they blew it open with a 14-3 run in the second half that left the Big East with just two of its 11 entrants standing.